Laravel 4 validation with updated password and email fixes (on update, empty passwords are not taken into account and actual email is not considered as already taken).

BaseModel.php

<?php

class BaseModel extends Eloquent {

  public $errors;

  public function validate($input = null)
  {
    if (is_null($input)) $input = Input::all();
    $v = Validator::make($input, static::$rules);

    if ($v->passes()) return true;

    $this->errors = $v->messages();
    return false;
  }
}

User.php

<?php

// (...)

class User extends \BaseModel implements UserInterface, RemindableInterface {

  // (...)

  protected static $rules = [
    'email' => "required|email|unique:users",
    'password' => 'required|confirmed|min:8'
  ];

  // Extend the validate function to take care of the 'update' specifities
  public function validate($input = null)
  {
    if (Input::get('_method') == 'PUT')
    {
      // Ignore values on record with same id, and allow empty password
      self::$rules['email'] .= ",email,$this->id";
      self::$rules['password'] = 'confirmed|min:8';

      // Ignore password validation if empty
      if(!Input::get('password') and !Input::get('password_confirmation'))
      {
        unset(self::$rules['password']);
        unset(self::$rules['password_confirmation']);
      }

      return parent::validate();
    }
  }

  // (...)

}

UsersController.php

<?php

class UsersController extends \BaseController {
  
  // (...)  
  
  public function update($id)
	{
		$user = User::find($id);

		if (!$user) return Redirect::route('users.index');

		if ($user->validate())
		{
			$user->fill(Input::all());
			
			if(Input::get('password') and Input::get('password_confirmation')) $user->password = Hash::make(Input::get('password'));

			if ($user->save()) return Redirect::route('users.index');
		}
		return Redirect::back()->withErrors($user->errors);
	}
  
  // (...)